There are many activities and expectations that are important parts of professional life in the academy. In this discussion about 25 participants wrestled with defi ning the role of faculty and the changes that impact professional development. Professional development was defi ned as the activities that improve, innovate, and solidify an individualʼs place and contribution to the fi eld of practice and their fi t in the academic institution.

The activities of faculty and the expectations of the academy in new and emerging digital art areas often do not meet on common terms. Part of this problem is due to the way a new learning area develops in the academy. The best way, albeit an uncommon practice, is for a new media area to be given autonomous funding, control over the design of the curriculum and staffi ng support. Within this context, the area of practice defi nes professional development and the academic unit can defi ne standards and review measurements to be sure they are in alignment with the new digital media areas.

The most typical occurrence is also the most diffi cult to innovate. Programs that emerge within a traditional well-established allied area grow up using the standards and measures that are well established in the home base area but do not fi t the work required to establish and practice in digital media technology areas. It was from this perspective that the discussion focused on defi ning questions and listing suggestions for understanding professional development in digital media and art.

The responsibilities and expectations for faculty in new media technology areas involves a signifi cantly greater investment of time and energy than is required in other pedagogy areas. The primary reason for this is the emerging and expanding technology that is the basis for practice in the fi eld. Electronic media are changing constantly. Continual technical obsolescence requires faculty to be constantly rewriting their curriculum, learning new technologies, identifying new critical issues and developing new aesthetic concerns. Each new semester brings new students and new programs. The only apparent constant is the concept of “new” itself. This discrepancy is a permanent feature of digital disciplines and defi nes a difference that requires we review how professionals will meet their obligations to the fi eld and continue to evolve a meaningful practice.

Incorporating a new media technology curriculum into a traditional curriculum that did not rely on technology has many problems, and the discourse illustrates the growing complexities. Regardless, new media technology curriculums are an essential part of teaching artists and professionals their role in the information society and student demand for new media technology areas continue to grow. The current, most common and critical issue in the area is how to incorporate rapidly changing technology into coursework without sacrifi cing the conceptual framework. This means re-examining the standards and measurements used in professional development at the academy and setting realistic goals for the faculty to insure their continued growth and contributions to the field.

The academy relies on the concept of “outside review” as the primary tool for setting standards. It relies on the concept of “hero artist” for the measurement tools. Whether you are talking about journal articles, exhibitions, collaborations or product development, the value is placed on the interpretation of these concepts. This means that the digital media faculty should feel obligated to:

• explain how their projects fit into this type of process;
• explain the scope and process of development of a digital media production;
• explain the individual responsibilities for collaborative productions;
• explain how time is spent developing digital work;
• explain the audience for the work (especially their role in interactive environments);
• provide accessible documentation of the work and its presentation.

Another big problem facing the digital media faculty is the signifi cantly higher expectations of service activity. Faculty in the area often have a higher level of responsibility in the service activity area when compared to faculty in other fi elds. Ultimately, this is a funding problem that can be solved when these areas begin to have more autonomy in the academy. Until then, it becomes the responsibility of the digital media faculty to develop “outside review” processes that can be clearly described and justifi ed in any letters or reviews that are part of the promotion and tenure processes in the academy.

The strategies for professional development are improving as these areas in the academe take hold. Recently published books and journals in the fi eld continue to foster the critical dialogue necessary to refi ne traditional measures. The immediate problem at hand is to build a long-term faculty base in these areas at the institutions where these areas exist.

Here is what iDMAa can do to become a supportive resource for faculty as well as a resource for institutions in the development of digital media technology areas in the academy.

• help to develop the ongoing critical dialogue using the iDMAa journal
• develop a list of members willing to serve as mentors for junior faculty;
• have a yearly conference that includes a workshop to discuss professional development and other issues in digital media technology areas;
• produce a publication that provides guidelines for standards and measurements that can be used in developing and maintaining digital media technology areas;
• develop on-line resources to exchange information regarding challenges facing established and emerging digital media areas;
• review digital media programs to provide varied examples of curriculums, standards and measurements and how they work, donʼt work and why.